Canalopatías: un nuevo concepto en la etiología de las epilepsias

Abstract

Abstract Until a few years ago, epilepsies were classified in idiopathic, cryptogenic and symptomatic, in relationship, respectively, with their presumably genetic character, to the lack of knowledge of their etiology or to the link with a demonstrated cause. In recent years, it has been demonstrated among the former that some mutations in the animo acid sequences that conform the ionic channels constitute the substrate of several epileptic syndromes. These discoveries stress the genetic characteristic of some epileptic syndromes and are simultaneously being used for the development of drugs whose anti-epileptic effect arises from the actions that they have in the ionic channels.